Kyle Walker

[Ric]

It's not difficult to replicate the position we held with Alves for discussion purposes, leak a few names to the press in that position and if it comes up in negotiation just say we are close on another target. It's a hard one for him to test. Meanwhile we should actually be working on another target anyway, just in case.

Personally I think it'll convince Walker even more because now he knows he's not got Alves to compete with. I'm just not sure he's got the backbone to make his stance clear. The real winner here is to pick up Walker, and sign Fabinho as DM plus RB cover. (:

Yeah, Fabinho would be ideal now that Alves won't be taking up a foreign slot in the squad. Don't think it will happen though.

 

[eversince 76]

I keep reading that the Alves setback today plays greatly into Levy's hands, but I'm not that convinced that it does. It might have if Spurs didn't want to sell, but it seems pretty clear that they do want to do a deal. They won't make the price prohibitive because otherwise they risk missing out on what is an already sizeable transfer fee, and having an unhappy (and seemingly unwanted, by Pochettino at least) player on their hands.

If you want to sell but you don't need to sell, it puts you in a much better position than if you need to buy. And our need that was already apparent with Zabaleta and Sagan leaving, certainly hasn't degraded after Alves snubbed us. So I would say it certainly plays in to Levy's hand. Whatever the player wants is not of his concern. The player himself will try and persuade the needing party (us) to try and make the transfer happen up until the moment we walk away or transfer deadline is there. And I would expect Walker or any professional football player to get his grips. I'm sure Walker wants to be part of the England team at the WC for starters, so he gains nothing by playing an unhappy member of the squad.

 

[yeah whatever !!]

If you want to sell but you don't need to sell, it puts you in a much better position than if you need to buy. And our need that was already apparent with Zabaleta and Sagan leaving, certainly hasn't degraded after Alves snubbed us. So I would say it certainly plays in to Levy's hand. Whatever the player wants is not of his concern. The player himself will try and persuade the needing party (us) to try and make the transfer happen up until the moment we walk away or transfer deadline is there. And I would expect Walker or any professional football player to get his grips. I'm sure Walker wants to be part of the England team at the WC for starters, so he gains nothing by playing an unhappy member of the squad.

Especially as we are told him and Poch dont see eye to eye.

 

[Rolee]

If you want to sell but you don't need to sell, it puts you in a much better position than if you need to buy. And our need that was already apparent with Zabaleta and Sagan leaving, certainly hasn't degraded after Alves snubbed us. So I would say it certainly plays in to Levy's hand. Whatever the player wants is not of his concern. The player himself will try and persuade the needing party (us) to try and make the transfer happen up until the moment we walk away or transfer deadline is there. And I would expect Walker or any professional football player to get his grips. I'm sure Walker wants to be part of the England team at the WC for starters, so he gains nothing by playing an unhappy member of the squad.

Would we need another right back if we'd signed Alves?

 

[Cotton Weave Blue]

Would we need another right back if we'd signed Alves?

Yes. He played 33 times for Juventus last year.

 

[richards30]

can we not go for fabinho now then? or does he not want to play RB?

 

[YaYa's Left Peg]

Losing Alves is a blow, nothing more. Sure he would have brought great experience, and knowledge of Pep's system, and no doubt that might have been a great help to some of our other players, especially when the going gets tough. But, it could just have easily turned sour, perhaps with him and his wife not settling in Manchester, or him being separated from his wife for long periods given that she works in Paris. Also, if I recall, was there not a fallout between Pep and Alves at Barca, when Alves was critical of the manager over some of his methods and tactics? And off course, we all remember his thoughts on City when asked about us a while back, although some of this might have been down to interpretation.

I think losing Alves has certainly made the juggling of the transfer budget a little bit trickier now. We thought we had a freebie, a great one at that, but now we're going to have to either spend upwards of £20M+ on getting another target or hope that Maffeo proves an able deputy. Hey shit happens. In any case, it's likely that we would have had to enter the market again next season anyway for a RB, given the way Alves treated Juventus, I have a feeling that he would have done the same to us - after all, the guy is care free and has nothing to prove.

What we need is a young, hungry full back who actually wants to play for us and achieve great things with us. If it means we don't invest in another midfielder, or even in Sanchez, or even a central defender, then so be it (although I have a feeling our pot is a lot larger than some think, given that we didn't get to spend the money last year targeted for Mbappe). I'm not even bothered if we don't get Walker, if we end up with someone like Kimmich or Fabinho (target Bertrand at LB and keep Delph to make up our four association trained).

Like I say Alves is a blow, but the possibilities still open to us are potentially mouth watering.

 

[ShaunyB]

Getting snubbed by Alves was a blow but we need to move on and sign somebody who actually wants to play for us. Walker is a great player but i am not convinced we should be paying £50million+ for him. The Alves news played straight into Tottenham's hands in terms of being able to demand more. If Tottenham are going to quote stupid numbers i would turn elsewhere surely there are other world class options available to us at clubs who aren't going to take the piss too much? Anyway i am sure Pep knows what he's doing. We will have at least 2 world class full backs before the start of the season.

 

[not my fault!]

Getting snubbed by Alves was a blow but we need to move on and sign somebody who actually wants to play for us. Walker is a great player but i am not convinced we should be paying £50million+ for him. The Alves news played straight into Tottenham's hands in terms of being able to demand more. If Tottenham are going to quote stupid numbers i would turn elsewhere surely there are other world class options available to us at clubs who aren't going to take the piss too much? Anyway i am sure Pep knows what he's doing. We will have at least 2 world class full backs before the start of the season.

They don't need to be world class... Walker isn't! He's good but he's not world class.

 

[uwe rosler 28]

£150m for Cedric, walker,Bertrand,Mendy would be a good summer for me and yes we can please them all like we did with Micah,zabba,Clichy,kolarov

 

[ShaunyB]

They don't need to be world class... Walker isn't! He's good but he's not world class.

No i agree Walker isn't world class, exactly why i wouldn't pay £50million for him.

I think we need world class full backs as Pep likes them to be able to join the midfield and attack as well as defend. Anyway we're MCFC we should want world class players not mediocre ones.

 

[JPBB]

£150m for Cedric, walker,Bertrand,Mendy would be a good summer for me and yes we can please them all like we did with Micah,zabba,Clichy,kolarov

The reality is that Spurs will be very unhelpful. They will wait until the last hour of the last day of the window and want mad money. City can call their bluff but I don't think Spurs need or want to sell.

Alves is a crushing blow for the negotiations despite what some say here. Another right back is needed very urgently - both for the start of the season and to help strengthen City's position with Spurs.

 

[_Jake]

No i agree Walker isn't world class, exactly why i wouldn't pay £50million for him.

I think we need world class full backs as Pep likes them to be able to join the midfield and attack as well as defend. Anyway we're MCFC we should want world class players not mediocre ones.

But how many world class full backs are out there right now?

 

[ShaunyB]

But how many world class full backs are out there right now?

That is true.
Any that are world class are tied into contracts at big clubs, it would extremely difficult to convince them away. But we can hope.

 

[ninjamonkey]

But how many world class full backs are out there right now?

I think the fact a 34 year old Alves is still comfortably the best right back around suggests there's a big shortage of world class right backs around right now. Even looking at the big teams that we wouldn't be able to get anyway, their right backs aren't particularly good either.

 

[uwe rosler 28]

The reality is that Spurs will be very unhelpful. They will wait until the last hour of the last day of the window and want mad money. City can call their bluff but I don't think Spurs need or want to sell.

Alves is a crushing blow for the negotiations despite what some say here. Another right back is needed very urgently - both for the start of the season and to help strengthen City's position with Spurs.

Totally disagree an unhappy player a new stadium to pay for and new players to buy it would be silly to try and drag it out as city could just move on and leave spurs in the lurch.

 

[JPBB]

Totally disagree an unhappy player a new stadium to pay for and new players to buy it would be silly to try and drag it out as city could just move on and leave spurs in the lurch.

I really don't think Spurs care if they are left in lurch. Walker is very sellable because they are no other right backs (discussed at length here). I am not sure the stadium build is dependent on selling players. At the moment they have a credit line in place. Maybe in the future they will need to sell players but not at the moment.

I can not see any way City can force Spurs' hand. Iheanacho looks the best chance. But really City are clutching at straws.

 

[Jonsilfab]

I think the fact a 34 year old Alves is still comfortably the best right back around suggests there's a big shortage of world class right backs aroundtb right now. Even looking at the big teams that we wouldn't be able to get anyway, their right backs aren't particularly good either.

Have you watched any of his games from last season besides those knockout rounds in the CL? He was nothing more than average. Maybe a few years ago he was the best, but not anymore. Carvajal has that title at the moment.

 

[uwe rosler 28]

I really don't think Spurs care if they are left in lurch. Walker is very sellable because they are no other right backs (discussed at length here). I am not sure the stadium build is dependent on selling players. At the moment they have a credit line in place. Maybe in the future they will need to sell players but not at the moment.

I can not see any way City can force Spurs' hand. Iheanacho looks the best chance. But really City are clutching at straws.

We just look elsewhere it doesn't matter what's discussed on here there's plenty more out there

 

[JPBB]

We just look elsewhere it doesn't matter what's discussed on here there's plenty more out there

Is there? Who?